GOP state Sen. Bill Emmerson resigns abruptly

Here’s a mini-bombshell that just dropped on Sacramento at oh, cocktail hour on a Friday afternoon: Redlands GOP state Sen. Bill Emmerson, 68, announced his resignation — surprising, well just about everybody.He wasn’t facing the term limit wall until 2016 and he easily won his race last November in the strongly GOP district that includes which parts of San Bernardino and Riverside and counties. This doesn’t look like a seat that could flip to Dems.

His ankling Friday, Emmerson said in his resignation note, wasn’t about anything other than “passion.” And his passion tank was empty.

Today I submitted a letter of resignation to the President pro Tempore of the California State Senate effective December 1, 2013.

My nine years of service have been some of the most fulfilling years of my life. It has been an honor to work alongside my colleagues in both the State Assembly and the State Senate – institutions that I hold in the highest regard.

But it’s time for me to move on.

I have always felt that one had to be passionate about their work. In these past few months, my passion has waned and my constituents deserve a Senator with the level of commitment that I once had.

My health is perfect and I leave with the satisfaction that I worked hard and did my very best.

Emmerson was first elected to the Assembly in 2004 then won a special election to the state Senate in 2010.